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French car manufacturers are masters when it comes to producing cool and quirky cars that end up being a disappointment to own.
Cars coming from the old continent are believed to be the most luxurious, sportiest, and valuable vehicles ever made. As a matter of fact, some of these European performance cars can be modified to annihilate most supercars. Needless to say, some of the most iconic sports cars ever made originated from Europe. However, it would be quite difficult for every single European carmaker to hit a homerun every time they release a new vehicle.
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In the land of stinky cheeses and delicious wines, automobiles tend to be somewhat unsatisfying. The French government destroyed its car industry by heavily taxing cars equipped with engines larger than 2.5-liter, it simply prevented carmakers from ever coming with cars that could compete on the global market. Consequently, there have been several gorgeous-looking French cars that are simply horrendous for various reasons.
The amount of obscure car brands out there is quite high. However, some brands deemed obscure are well-known in their countries of origin. Whether it is Seat or Simca, these brands are far from mysterious in their target markets. Simca, originally created by Fiat, was a French automaker that was going essentially for middle-income motorists. Simca was also another reason why Chrysler Europe failed.
The Simca 1200 S is among those awful European sports cars no one should buy for obvious reasons. Despite having received a body designed by Bertone, the rear-engine two-door coupe fails to deliver. Fitted with a 1.2-liter Type 315 inline-four cylinder motor, the 1200 S was never given one of the healthier engines found in Chrysler Europe's lineup. With all that being said, the 1200 S was among the best Simcas ever built. The 1200 S could never square up with the Alpine A110 1600S of the year.
Citroën, which literally translates into lemon, is one of the main French automakers on the market. Having been around since 1919, the French car company has manufactured several truly revolutionizing vehicles, including the Traction Avant. During the following decades, Citroën churned out several vehicles that would end up becoming legends globally. However, these cars were far from being perfect.
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It is important to keep in mind that the Citroën DS was once a presidential car. Though longer than the mass-produced version, it was never as impressive as some of the cars provided to American presidents. Granted, the DS was a success in Europe and sold in the United States, any gearheads would think that the DS comes at least with a six-cylinder engine. Instead, a 2.2-liter inline four-cylinder unit can be found.
It is always wrongly believed that the French car industry is solely made of the largest brands, namely Peugeot, Renault, and Citroën. Similarly to the American car industry, the three main brands have gone through multiple rounds of merger and acquisitions. Consequently, the French Big Three ended up overseeing several unknown brands throughout the past century.
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The Matra Murena is one of the coolest French cars everyone forgot about. The reason behind it is quite simple. Both the base and mid-range trims are soporific. Either equipped with a 1.6-liter Poissy or a 2.2-liter Type 180 four-cylinder engine, those trim-levels were sluggish. With power outputs of 91 hp and 116 hp, a BMW 320i of the same year was far more appealing.
The late '90s saw the apparition of a lot of funky vehicles. From the life-saving Porsche Boxster to the mind-boggling Fiat Multipla, European carmakers were coming up with one quirky vehicle after the other. Around the same time, Renault released an all-terrain version of its best-selling minivans. While it was a novelty at the time, it was nothing as attractive as the Sport Spider.
The Sport Spider is one of those French cars that are tons of fun but not well-built. One of the things that makes it look like a rocket is the Lambo doors. With a curb weight of 2,050 lbs and a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter F7R inline-four unit, the Sport Spider is the French roadster that could almost rival BMW's legendary Z3, which, needless to say, wins by a long shot.
Europe is the land of the supercar. Over the last 70 years, European car manufacturers have dominated supercar-making. They annihilated their foreign competition so swiftly that cars such as the Ford GT or the Acura NSX are the least of their worries. With that said, supercar-makers are almost nowhere to be found in France. Bugatti remains until this day the only company that consistently churns out supercars.
Though the 607 Feline never made it to production, it perfectly embodies the French's inability to create supercars. Borrowing parts of its name from the mass-produced sedan, the 607 Feline comes with a 2.9-liter V6 that makes 207 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque. Judging by its looks, the 607 Feline should be pushing at least 450 hp out of a twin-turbocharged V6.
The sight of a minivan will trigger a gag reflex in most petrol heads. They are, 99% of the time, lacking everything that would make a vehicle attractive. The once rumored Chrysler Pacifica Hellcat and the Renault Espace F1 are the only minivans that somebody with a need for speed would go for. Renault had a go at making the minivan cool. It was not a success.
The concept is quite intriguing. A two-door, grand tourer, partly convertible, vehicle that is as cool as it is puzzling. Coming at best with a 3.0-liter V6 that makes only 207 hp, the Avantime should have been given a turbo to bring the power to at least 240 hp. After only two years on the market, Renault retired the Avantime due to poor sales. With an MSRP of about $38,000, the half grand tourer and half coupe minivan failed to attract the average motorist.
The early 2000s saw the apparition of several hardtop convertibles. BMW had its E93 335i. Mercedes-Benz has its monstrous SL500. The French did not fall behind and offered hardtop convertibles that were perfect for a project. Renault did not fail to come up with its own version of the Coupe Cabriolet. Its creation was great looking but lacking in several departments.
The Megane Coupe Cabriolet could have been the cool French that would annihilate cars such as the Volvo C70. Around the same time, Renault released the Megane RS using the same platform. Fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, the Megane RS was a true beast. However, Renault never applied the same treatment to the Coupe Cabriolet version. Instead, a 1.6-liter that makes a lousy 115 hp is nestled underneath the hood.
It is well-known that hatchbacks are all the rage in Europe. While the Civic is often laughed out in the United States, some European gearheads truly believe that the Honda Civic fitted with the 1.6-liter B16B engine is a street racer meant to terrorize its opponents. Consequently, French carmakers have released a plethora of hatchbacks, with some being less attractive than others.
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The Citroën DS3 is well-known among WRC fans. With a total of 26 wins and six titles, the 300 hp DS3 was a beast on the track. Piggybacking on the WRC successes, Citroën released the DS3 THP 200. The turbocharged 1.6-liter makes a respectable 204 hp and 202 lb-ft of torque. Though these numbers are remarkable, the DS3 THP 200 remains too expensive to buy and maintain for what it really is.
Peugeot released some truly majestic hatchbacks in recent history. The Peugeot 205 T16 and later the 307 RC have completely reshaped the French market. French automakers seemed incapable of producing a sports car that could rival their German counterparts for years, but things drastically changed for the better. However, Stellantis was unable to maintain this upward trend.
The Peugeot 308 GTI is not one of those hatchbacks that are worth every dollar. With an MSRP of about $37,000, the 308 GTI is quite pricey for a car that size. Moreover, the 308's the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder churns out 268 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque, while cars such as the Volkswagen Golf R and the Honda Civic Type R are pumping out 292 hp and 306 hp.
Modern-day Citroën cars are among the nicest French cars. From the top-line C6 to the C4 Cactus, Citroën truly worked on manufacturing cars that would please motorists globally. As the wind changed, Citroën was forced to rethink the way it presented itself to the public. After hopping on the hybrid bandwagon, Citroën drastically transformed its lineup.
In an era where carmakers have understood that it is possible to have both "hybrid" and "fun" in the same sentence, Citroën released exactly what the average gearhead steers clear of. The C5X Hybrid 225 comes at best with an inline-four engine that produces 222 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque once combined with the electric engine. Being the top-line model, Citroën could have learned from Japanese and Korean carmakers.
Max Veron is an avid fan of anything equipped with a powerful engine. Spending time between Southeast Asia, Europe and the US, Max is travel bug with a great taste for cars.